Plastic packing and process of making same



UNITED STATES PATENT or ALBERT H. SCHLAEGEL, or INDIANAPOLIS, innrana, ,A'SSIGNQR' T0" GRAPHOeI IETAL rnonucrs COMPANY, OFINDIANAPOLIS, lnprann, a CORPORATION or INDIANA.

I PLASTIC PACKING AND PROCESS'OF MAKING SAME,

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: r

Be it known that I, ALBERT I-I. SOHLAEGEL, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Plastic Packings and Processes of Making Same, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements, in

the manufacture of packing, especially such as is used in piston packing and bearings and has for its object the utilization of a process by means of which a packing is obtained that has great lubricating value and also one that will stand upfwhen subjected to reat wear. I i V I K further object is the utilization of a process by means ofwhich a-che'ap and eflicient packing may be obtained. 7'

These and such other objects" as may hereinafter appear areattained by my process, which isfully described and claimed in'the accompanying specification.

In carrying out my invention Ijfirst take an alloyin the nature of Babbitt orbearing metal, composed for instance of lead,

iron, copper, etc., the principal metals being substantially inthe following proportions: Lead 85%, iron 5%, copper 5%, bismuth 5%. 1 I am'not limiting myself to any'partic'ular Babbitt metal or composition, but can utilize such as maybe purchased in the open market in bars or pigs. ,7

In connection with the Babbitt metal, I also use graphite, :both powdered and flaked, which maybe of the ordinary brand either natural or artificial, and also a waxy com.- position of pure beeswax orbeeswax and paraflin, all of which products may be purchased in the open'market. j

In the production of my material, I first melt the alloy to the proper temperature, between 900 and 1200 degreesFahrenheit, the alloy beginning to breakdown at the lower temperature and being at about its working point at the higher temperature.

A tank or vat is provided havinga depth of water between 9 and 12 inches, at a temperature between 75 to 85 degrees. The metal or alloy-is dropped from a height of 6 to 7 feet above the surface directly from the crucible, preferably using a flat spout so that the metal falls in a thin flat sheet,

Specification of Lettersletent. i Application filed December 7,'1 J15.* Serial No.*65,456.

Patented Dec. 9,1919.

7 the crucible during the pouring being kept in constant motion so that the metal strikes thew'ater'in a separated form. 'The crucible also is preferably carried about over the surface of the tank as the metal falls so that the metal in the tank is laid in the'shape of a spiral the bottom'whenthis' part of the operation is completed. This method prevents the piling up of the metal near thetopor above thesur-face of the water and facilitatesthe manufacture ofthe most efficient product. When the. metal strikes the water a slight explosion takes 'placeand the resulting product is the 'metalitself in a'loculate orporous condition. V After the contents of the crucible has been poured, the water is drawn ofl from the tank and the metal allowedtodrain and then-put in an oven to dry. At this time the bearing metalis in large and small masses in an extremely d1v1de'djor loculate condition, but in suchacondition as to be practically held together in considerably large'pieces." 1 f "The next step in the oper ation consists in the grading of the material to size, de pending upon the use to whichitjis to'be put and the size of'the packing rings to be-filled.

Take, for instance, what is called the manufacture of aNog product; The material in this case is passed through a No. 4: riddle which'c'omprises a screen or sieve with one-fourth. inch mesh,v and the ma; terial is rubbed about and forced through the screen. Therfinei material that breaks up is removed therefrom for other grades andthe material .gradedI-to fit the condition for which it is to be used. 7 1

Pure beeswax orbeeswax and paraflin 1s next meltedina'suitable vessel and pow-.

dered graphite mixed'in, in the. proportion of eight ounces of beeswax Jo'r beeswax and V paraflin and two ounclesof powdered graphite, the material thenahaving aj dirty 'a pearance and forminga black waxy "mass.

Ten lbs. of loculate metal is then added and the material kept stirring all the time until it isproperly mixed and a temperature of from 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit is reached. At about-this temperature or between and 450 degrees Fahrenheit four ounces .of flake graphite is added and the material put in a tumbler and. tumbled while the temperature is decreasing, and at the proper moment, while the wax is still shrinking and before it has reached its point of ultimate shrinkage, four additional ounces of flake graphite is added, which is caught in and held by the wax as it is shrinking.

Prior to the addition of the last four ounces the mixed wax and graphite both powdered and flaked has gone into the pores of the metal practically filling them, except .so ,far as the final shrinking of the wax is concerned and consequently the last four ounces offiake graphite is mainly caught in or embedded in the wax at the entrance to the pores or close to the surface of the metal and wax.

By the practice of this process, a product is obtained that is of great commercial value. It is sufficiently hard to stand ordinary usage when confined between rings, and the wax and the graphite is so commingled with the excess of flaked graphite on the outside as to give thevery best results as a packing or lubricant.

Of course it is understood that I am not limiting myself to the exact proportions given either or any 01 the materials nor to the specific temperatures, the main idea being that the proper combination of flaked and powdered graphite with the wax, with the addition or surplusage of flake and sult.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claimas. new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is;

1,. The process of making metallic packing consisting in reducing a bearing metal graphite at the end produces the desired reto a loculate condition, substantially filling I ing consisting in reducing a bearing metal to-a loculate condition, substantially filling said metal with a waxy filler containing beeswax and graphite ata high temperature, permitting the temperature to lower and while the temperature is lowering.

5. The process of making metallic packing consisting in reducing a bearing metal to a loculate condition, substantially filling said metal with a waxy filler containing graphite at a high temperature, permitting the temperature to lower and adding thereto flake graphite while the temperature is lowering.

6. The process of aking metallic packing consisting in reducing a bearing metal to a loculate condition, substantially filling said metal with a waxy filler containing to a loculate condition, substantially filling.

said metal with a waxy filler containing beeswax and powdered graphite and flake graphite at ahigh temperature, permitting the temperature to lower and adding thereto flake graphite while the temperature is lowering. V

8. The process of making metallic packing consisting in reducing a bearing metal to a loculate condition, substantially filling said metal, mixing with said metal a waxy filler containing beeswax and powdered graphite, adding to said mixture additional flake graphite while at a high temperature, the lowering of said temperature while said material is being mixed and the addition of more flake graphite just before the waxy filler has reached its ultimate point of shrinkage. V

9. A new article of manufacture, a packing comprising loculate bearing metal having its pores filled with a lubricant containing graphite and having a surplusage of graphite embedded in the outer face of said lubricant.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALBERT sonLAEGEL. 

